Doctor.... Who? Spoilers! Really, don't read if ur not up to date.

[Doctor Damage]

I'd very much like to see a really bitter, angry Doctor, as that's often when he's at his most interesting. Some of my favourite Tennant moments were his anger. Especially when the PM ordered the alien ship shot down as it retreated - his anger, and then the cold calculation of "Doesn't The Prime Minister look tired?" Beautiful.

Although neither were bitter, both Pertwee and Baker (Colin) had "attitudes".

 

[Doctor Damage]

I'm just hoping their casting choice isn't motivated by "pandering to the 'politically correct' crowd" as some have speculated and that Miss Whittaker is the person they sincerely believed was right for the role.

It probably was, pandering I mean. I have to admit that I was horrified, in part because on the same day I had read some article (here in Canada, where we have the ongoing Stratford Festival) claiming that Shakespeare needs to be more inclusive and gender balanced and suggested that some roles should be re-cast for women or somesuch, and my mind stuck the two together and thought "no no no..."

 

[Edward]

I saw a production of As You Like It a few years ago with Jaques recast as 'Ms Jacques'. Regendered, but otherwise unchanged - i.e. played as a woman, not a woman playing a man. It was superb. Good example that something different well executed can work. It'll all come down to the quality of the writing and Chibnall's overall handling of the show. The advantage they have is that because Moffat's era has, overall, been such a nadir, they have little to lose.

 

[Tiki Tom]

It probably was, pandering I mean. I have to admit that I was horrified, in part because on the same day I had read some article (here in Canada, where we have the ongoing Stratford Festival) claiming that Shakespeare needs to be more inclusive and gender balanced and suggested that some roles should be re-cast for women or somesuch, and my mind stuck the two together and thought "no no no..."

Silly boy. Shakespeare was a woman.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/was-shakespeare-a-woman/article1207502/?page=all

 

[Seb Lucas]

It probably was, pandering I mean. I have to admit that I was horrified, in part because on the same day I had read some article (here in Canada, where we have the ongoing Stratford Festival) claiming that Shakespeare needs to be more inclusive and gender balanced and suggested that some roles should be re-cast for women or somesuch, and my mind stuck the two together and thought "no no no..."

Well, there is a famous adaptation of King Lear with a female lead. And, of course in Shakespeare's time all female roles were played by men and boys since women were not allowed to act. So we shouldn't be too inflexible in our idea of what makes Shakespeare great. Not that I care for the material myself - I'm not smart enough to follow the language and I insist on having a literal understanding of a dramatist's nuances and allusions.

 

[Edward]

Although neither were bitter, both Pertwee and Baker (Colin) had "attitudes".

It's a real shame Colin Baker wasn't given the chance to develop the character over five seasons the way they had originally planned.

I would like to see them bring back some of the still-living previous Doctors. Colin Baker is one, Sylvester McCoy another. McCoy gets a lot of retrospective criticism which I consider unfair; rewatching his final series now, it's significantly better than a lot of the relaunched stuff.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's a real shame Colin Baker wasn't given the chance to develop the character over five seasons the way they had originally planned.

I would like to see them bring back some of the still-living previous Doctors. Colin Baker is one, Sylvester McCoy another. McCoy gets a lot of retrospective criticism which I consider unfair; rewatching his final series now, it's significantly better than a lot of the relaunched stuff.

Seven was, arguably, the first "modern" Doctor in terms of the complexity of his personality -- like Two, he had the surface appearance of a clown, but he had a very dark core that, at times, could be really unsettling. I thought it was a real shame that the original series ended when it did, because McCoy's Doctor was just hitting his stride. McCoy was and is an excellent actor whose goofing around throws you off just enough not to notice that he's playing, essentially, a vicious cold-blooded ba***rd. Two and Eleven both had a streak of that as well, but Seven was hard-core enough that he could have intimidated both of them.

I've come to think very highly of Colin Baker as well -- he's been an excellent ambassador for the show, despite being ill-used at just about every turn, and I like very much how, like Six, he's not afraid to speak his mind. His commentary on the "Female Doctor? What Now? controversy is well worth reading.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Seven was, arguably, the first "modern" Doctor in terms of the complexity of his personality -- like Two, he had the surface appearance of a clown, but he had a very dark core that, at times, could be really unsettling. I thought it was a real shame that the original series ended when it did, because McCoy's Doctor was just hitting his stride. McCoy was and is an excellent actor whose goofing around throws you off just enough not to notice that he's playing, essentially, a vicious cold-blooded ba***rd. Two and Eleven both had a streak of that as well, but Seven was hard-core enough that he could have intimidated both of them.

Thanks for posting that opinion. I've only watched one (I think) of the McCoy episodes and saw only the clowning around. I'll have to make a point of seeing more of him, although I don't really have access to old Dr Who shows without buying them ($$$$).

 

[Doctor Damage]

It's a real shame Colin Baker wasn't given the chance to develop the character over five seasons the way they had originally planned.

And (if I remember correctly) he got saddled with a season-long storyline arc, which wouldn't have made him attractive to more casual viewers.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Thanks for posting that opinion. I've only watched one (I think) of the McCoy episodes and saw only the clowning around. I'll have to make a point of seeing more of him, although I don't really have access to old Dr Who shows without buying them ($$$$).

If you can only watch two of Seven's stories, make them "Ghost Light" and "The Curse of Fenric," which are a loosely-connected arc showing him at his most manipulative. "Remembrance of the Daleks" is also an excellent story, which was the first to really suggest that there was a lot more to Seven than met the eye.

 

[Formeruser012523]

Trying to make the decision right now on whether or not to go for this:

britbox.com

As I have no other access to classic Who at this time.

 

[LizzieMaine]

While I haven't used that service -- I'm still working on the classic-Who hoard I recorded on VHS in the '90s -- the word is that not only does it offer all the existing episodes back to 1963, it also includes photo-and-soundtrack reconstructions of many of the lost episodes.

Most of the Second Doctor's era is still "lost," which is unfortunate -- he's my favorite of the Classic Doctors, and the one I most highly recommend. While you can get a good taste of him from the surviving stories, reconstructions miss so much of the nuance that Patrick Troughton brought to the role with his physical quirks and facial expressions.

 

[Sloan1874]

I met Sylvester last year. He was at a comic con next to our studios, so we persuaded him to come up and chat about life as a former Who. He's knocking on a bit (now walks with a cane) but very charming and very funny: he carries a pair of musical spoons around him in a special case, though we couldn't persuade him to play them on this occasion. A far nicer chap than bloody Stephen Moffat, but that's another story completely...

 

[Edward]

And (if I remember correctly) he got saddled with a season-long storyline arc, which wouldn't have made him attractive to more casual viewers.

I don't think that was really a problem: back in the day, the audience could cope with multi-part stories. One of the downsides of the rebooted show, especially in the Moffat era, has been that it all too often spends thirty minutes setting the scene, only for some disappointing, rushed deus ex machine ending to ruin it. The main problem was he was given only one season to cover an arc that was meant to take four....

If you can only watch two of Seven's stories, make them "Ghost Light" and "The Curse of Fenric," which are a loosely-connected arc showing him at his most manipulative. "Remembrance of the Daleks" is also an excellent story, which was the first to really suggest that there was a lot more to Seven than met the eye.

I rewatched Curse of Fenric a few months ago. The equal of anything in the reboot era - and it knocks Blink into a cocked hat.

A far nicer chap than bloody Stephen Moffat, but that's another story completely...

Hates journalists as much as he hates women?

 

[Sloan1874]

Interestingly, no. We met him at the Scottish Baftas a few years ago and we were on our best behaviour - v polite and jokey with him - and he was rather rude and pompous in return.

 

[Edward]

You'll probably get another chance to be on the receiving end of him soon - I hear he and Gatiss are going to do Dracula next. Which is encouraging because, you know, with him leaving Who and Sherlock being effectively over, I was worried he might not get the chance to ruin something I used to like again.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Trailer for the Xmas Special --

The morphing of Hartnell footage into Bradley is disturbingly effective. Whatever else may be said about this, the recasting of One looks like it'll be very effective. And I'll bet a crispy Christmas goose that Captain McMoustache there is going to be revealed as the Brigadier's father.

 

[Formeruser012523]

Trailer for the Xmas Special --

The morphing of Hartnell footage into Bradley is disturbingly effective. Whatever else may be said about this, the recasting of One looks like it'll be very effective. And I'll bet a crispy Christmas goose that Captain McMoustache there is going to be revealed as the Brigadier's father.

And I'll bet you're right. Of course Gatiss gets himself in there too. Ugh. I once liked him quite a lot, but now I'm just worn out.

 

[Edward]

I like Gatiss, I wish he would take on the showrunner role. Moffat should be banned, though.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I would like to see them bring back some of the still-living previous Doctors. Colin Baker is one, Sylvester McCoy another. McCoy gets a lot of retrospective criticism which I consider unfair; rewatching his final series now, it's significantly better than a lot of the relaunched stuff.

No, no no! Nothing worse than seeing these aging, portly actors revisit the role. It just demolishes the slender illusion that the doctor is a real being not a compeltion of has-been convention fodder. There is really no clever way of making use of these guys now they are elderly. Except Davison's intermittently amusing 50th anniversary video. The Tom Baker cameo in the 50th was fun but only because he didn't come on as Doctor 4.